Is the Hydrogen vs. EV Fight Really a Case of China vs. Japan?

They way it is framed, the Japanese have their their hydrogen highway and the Chinese their drive for mass-market EVs, both "jostling for supremacy" to decide who "could enjoy years of domination if their technology is adopted" perhaps all the way "through the end of this century."

Stripped of the international overlay it comes down to the same competing factors that have outlined the issue for years: range and charging times on one side, infrastructure needs and hydrogen production on the other. China's government is tightening the regulatory vises to encourage automakers to build more EVs and then throwing money at consumers who buy them, domestic backers from Baidu to LeTV are funding the development of local options. Chinese automakers are also cranking out electric vehicles that outsiders might never have heard of. The BYD Qin, for example, was the fourth-best-selling electric vehicle in the world in September and the BAIC E-Series EV was ninth.

Japan's government has come in heavily behind hydrogen, factoring increased fuel-cell vehicle purchases into its plans for economic growth. And Honda just helped things along at the Tokyo Motor Show with the introduction of its new, improved Clarity Fuel Cell sedan (pictured). The future for both technologies is bright, but we don't know which one will be powering most of the lights. Head over to Reuters to read the full article.